Photo: Australian Government
Things are brewing in the Indo-Pacific Ocean. This is where Exercise Pitch Black is due to start in a couple of days, bringing together 100 aircraft from all over the world. It also marks the first participation of the German Air Force (Luftwaffe) in this international exercise.
Six fighter jets from the German Air Force landed in Singapore recently after covering 8,000 miles (12,800 km) in just 24 hours, Associated Press (AP) reports. From there, they are headed to Australia for Exercise Pitch Black, starting August 19.
The multi-role Eurofighter jets weren’t alone. They flew together with three A330 Multi-Role Tanker Transports and one A400M transport aircraft. This type of long flight carried out in record time is a great example of why air-to-air refueling capabilities are essential.
AP reports that, in addition to this type of refueling, the aircraft also had to make several stops for rotating pilots and general inspections. Indeed, two of the fighter jets turned out to have some technical issues when checked at one of these stops. One was fixed on the spot, but the other was left behind, waiting for personnel from Germany to arrive and get it back into shape for the exercise.
According to an official announcement from the Australian Government, this will be the first time when the Australian Air Force and its German counterpart get to train together. Recent world events have shown that there’s a need for a greater focus on cooperation in the Indo-Pacific region. This premiere for the Luftwaffe comes after a German warship, the Bayern frigate, was deployed in the Indo-Pacific for the first time in almost two decades.
Exercise Pitch Black will be carried out in Australia until September 8. After this important participation, the German fighter jets will also take part in Exercise Kakadu before continuing to Japan and the Republic of Korea – a very significant Indo-Pacific deployment for the Luftwaffe.
The multi-role Eurofighter jets weren’t alone. They flew together with three A330 Multi-Role Tanker Transports and one A400M transport aircraft. This type of long flight carried out in record time is a great example of why air-to-air refueling capabilities are essential.
AP reports that, in addition to this type of refueling, the aircraft also had to make several stops for rotating pilots and general inspections. Indeed, two of the fighter jets turned out to have some technical issues when checked at one of these stops. One was fixed on the spot, but the other was left behind, waiting for personnel from Germany to arrive and get it back into shape for the exercise.
According to an official announcement from the Australian Government, this will be the first time when the Australian Air Force and its German counterpart get to train together. Recent world events have shown that there’s a need for a greater focus on cooperation in the Indo-Pacific region. This premiere for the Luftwaffe comes after a German warship, the Bayern frigate, was deployed in the Indo-Pacific for the first time in almost two decades.
Exercise Pitch Black will be carried out in Australia until September 8. After this important participation, the German fighter jets will also take part in Exercise Kakadu before continuing to Japan and the Republic of Korea – a very significant Indo-Pacific deployment for the Luftwaffe.
Google News